Tricks not Treats
by BAColeNC
Summary: On Halloween night Beast Boy and Cyborg convince Starfire to aid them in pulling a prank on Robin. Unfortunately it goes too far. I still don't own the Titans


**Tricks not Treats**

By Brian Cole

It was a perfect Halloween night. The air was crisp and cold, and the sky was clear and studded with stars. The full moon had risen just after it had gotten fully dark and cast its light on Jump City.

Starfire had been surprised earlier that day. She had asked Robin to explain the holiday to her, and she was taken aback when instead of answering her himself, he told her that Raven would be better able to answer her.

"So, will we be doing the tricking and treating tonight?"

Robin was so engrossed in the computer search he was doing that he hadn't heard her enter to common room, and he startled slightly. He was surprised to see that it had been almost an hour and a half since he had seen her walk off with Raven.

"No, Star," he said. "We're all patrolling tonight. Maybe we'll get a lead on that sniper that's been causing so much trouble."

Starfire nodded as she remembered the news reports of the three people that had been shot, seemingly at random, by someone with a high powered rifle. Her glance at the computer screen told her that Robin had been sifting through the victims information, trying to find a common link.

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The Titans had been on patrol for about two hours, and it was almost ten o'clock. Robin stopped his R-cycle, preparing to check in with the others, as the mayor's curfew would go into effect with the striking of the hour. Getting an all clear from the others, he contacted Starfire last.

"There is nothing to report here, either," she reported. "Are we still meeting at the shop of coffee?"

"Cyborg and Beast Boy said they have other plans, and Raven didn't give me an answer."

"Oh. I see."

Robin smiled softly at the disappointment in Starfire's voice, and he knew his next statement would cheer her up. "I figured that we could still go," he said. "Just the two of us. That is, if you want to."

As he thought, Starfire's happiness was easy to hear in her voice. "Oh yes, Robin, that would be. . . . ." she began, but trailed off. "Who are you?" she asked, and Robin's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Someone you weren't supposed to see," a raspy male voice replied, causing Robin's eyes to open wide in surprise and concern. "Now you die."

"What do you mean? I. . . . ." Starfire's voice said over the open channel. Robin jumped when she screamed, and the unmistakable sound of two gunshots was heard.

"Cyborg! Raven! Beast Boy! Starfire's been attacked!" he shouted into his communicator. "Home in on her signal! Hurry!"

Following his own orders, Robin checked the display above his handlebars. The blinking purple 'S' showing where Starfire was. He made a quick right hand turn and found himself on a direct route to her. "Starfire, can you hear me? Starfire?" he called as the R-cycle quickly built up speed. "Hang on, Star, help's coming." he added as he opened the throttle wide.

A short time later, Robin screeched to a halt as Starfire's icon was at the center of his display. "Starfire!" he called into the sudden silence. He mentally wished that the scattered clouds that had moved in would drift away. He dropped his helmet to the ground and took out his communicator, using the smaller devices tracking ability to fine tune Starfire's location. Following the signal, he was surprised to find himself entering a cemetery. Just as he looked up to see where the signal was leading, the moon slipped from behind a cloud.

"Starfire!" he cried as he sprinted over to where she was slumped over a tombstone. As he drew closer, he hoped that the dark stain on the polished granite was a trick of the moonlight.

"Star, can you hear me?" he asked as he reached her side. Much as he hoped he would get an answer, the glistening wetness on the stone told him differently. He gently lifted her off the stone, and lowered her to the ground supporting her head and shoulders in his lap. He felt the bile rise in his throat as his stomach churned when he saw the two holes in her chest still oozing her life's blood.

His vision blurred, and he blinked away the tears in his eyes. "Starfire, please," he half sobbed as he brushed her hair from her face. "There's some thing I've been wanting to tell you, but I've been to stubborn to say it." Robin suddenly realized that he never got a reply from the others, so he quickly took out his communicator.

"Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, where are you? Star's been shot. Get here as quickly as you can. We're at the cemetery on the north end of the city. Hurry!" he shouted into it, then let it fall to the ground as he heard Starfire groan in pain. "Hang on Star," he urged. "When Raven gets here, she can heal you enough so we can get you to a hospital.

Starfire moaned again, and her eyes fluttered open. "Robin?" she asked as her eyes focused on him. "I am glad that you were able to reach me in time. I know that I will not survive this attack."

"Star. . . ." Robin began his voice cracking. "Star, just hang on. When Cy gets here with the T-car, we'll get you to the hospital."

"I. . .am. . . .trying, but I feel. . . . .so cold. . . . .and tired," she said softly. "Want to sleep."

"Star, I've been wanting to tell you that I like you. . . .more than just as a friend."

"I am happy that you have told me, as I now know that my feelings for you are shared."

Just then there was a rustling sound in the bushes off to their right. As Robin eased Starfire to the ground, a figure burst from the shadows at a dead run.

"Stop!" Robin called out as he sprinted in pursuit. Seeing that the other person didn't stop, he threw a birdarang, which struck one of the man's legs, causing him to trip. Just as he stopped tumbling, Robin pounced on him with his fist pulled back.

"Whoa!" the person Robin held down gasped in surprise.

"Robin, no! That is Cyborg!"

Recognition of both voices stopped Robin cold. He looked back over his shoulder and his jaw dropped open as he saw Starfire walking towards him using a cloth to wipe the front of her top off. "Starfire?" he asked, in total disbelief.

"Yes, Robin, I am undamaged," she said. "I believe we are now to say, trick or treat."

"You mean. . . .?" Robin stammered as he glared down at Cyborg. "You mean to tell me this was all a prank?"

In answer, Beast Boy's cackling laugh was heard. "And, dude, you fell for it hook, line, and sinker," he said laughing. "I figured you could do going postal, but I never thought you could do sappy."

"You. . . .heard?"

Hearing the tone of Robin's voice, Cyborg quickly realized that the Boy Wonder wasn't taking things well. "Heh," he chuckled nervously, "Well, we left Star's communicator channel open."

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you," Beast Boy said, imitating Robin's voice.

"Yo, BB, that's enough," Cyborg warned, seeing Robin's fists clench at his side. He realized that Starfire also knew things were going south, as she walked over to Robin and put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"Robin it was only meant as a Halloween prank," she said.

"Fine," he snapped, practically swatting her hand from his shoulder. "I hope you all had a good laugh. Pranks over and so is tonight's patrol," he added and headed for the R-cycle.

"Robin," Starfire called, and went to follow him. She was stopped when she felt Cyborg's hand on her shoulder.

"Leave him be, Star," he said. "He's royally pissed at us right now. Give him some time to cool off.

Just then, Raven appeared and floated over to Cyborg. "Would you mind telling me what's wrong with my communicator? I've been trying to contact Robin or you for the last fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, well we couldn't have you busting in and spoiling the fun, so Cy disabled your communicator" Beast Boy laughed, then yelped in surprise as he suddenly found himself enveloped in Raven's energy and pulled over to the dark titan until he was almost nose to nose with her.

"You mean to tell me that, despite my telling you that it was a very bad idea, that you went through with your little joke anyway?!"

"I do not believe it went as we had planned, and that you were quite correct, Raven," Starfire said. "Robin was most upset when he left."

"He'll be even happier when he learns what I found while I couldn't get a hold of him," Raven said, and a powerful looking rifle floated out from inside her cloak. "I was going to let Robin turn it over to the police for ballistics testing, but I'll do that now, and meet you back at the Tower."

"Dude, now **she's** mad at us, too."

"She did warn us not to go through with this, Beast Boy," Starfire said.

"And you know how she hates to be ignored," Cyborg added, then sighed heavily. "Come on, lets get back to the Tower."

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The eastern sky was just starting to lighten with the approach of the dawn when Starfire touched down in the park across the bay from Titans Tower. She stayed next to the tree she landed beside, hoping that the darkness would conceal her for a few more moments. She watched a familiar silhouette pacing back and forth, the slight breeze toying with his cape. Steeling herself for what she knew was going to be a heated welcome from her best friend, she stepped forward.

"So, they decided to send you as their emissary, huh?"

"Actually, according to Raven, of the three of us, I was the only one that would have a chance of talking to you," Starfire said. "And that was only after she had gotten over her own anger at us."

"Well it's good to know that one of you had some sense."

"Robin, I know that there are no words that will make this better, and for my part, I ask for your forgiveness. Our actions were only meant as a prank or practical joke."

"Starfire, how could you think that seeing **any** of you like that would be funny?" he paused for a moment then looked away from her as he added. "Especially you."

"All I can say for myself is that I was assured by Beast Boy and Cyborg that you would take it in the spirit of the Halloween holiday." Now it was her turn to look away. "I do not think they. . .we counted on how forceful your reaction would be."

Robin saw the flicker of surprise in Starfire's eyes as he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she was looking at him. "Starfire, when I saw you draped over that tombstone and saw that it was covered in what I thought was your blood. . ."

"You sounded most distraught."

"Starfire, I haven't felt like that since I saw my parents fall to their death. I couldn't think straight. All I could think of was getting my hands on whoever did that to you, and how they had stolen my chances at telling you things, and doing things with you."

"Like how you have the feelings for me?" Starfire asked. "I was most surprised by your saying that. I am glad that you do not think we were tricking you into that."

"Were you?"

"No, Robin, we were not. As I said, we did not anticipate your reaction. Yes, we knew you would be upset, but not to the extent that you were." She reached up and brushed her fingers over his cheek. "If I could take back the actions that caused you that, I would. Your friendship means too much to me for me to lose it."

Robin sighed softly. "And now you know it's more than just friendship I feel for you, and that I know you feel the same for me."

"And what are we to do with this new knowledge?"

Robin suddenly became aware that their faces were mere inches from each other. "We could give. . .us a try," he said softly.

"That would be most. . ." Starfire began, but trailed off as she felt Robin's lips touching hers, his arms going around her. Slipping her arms around him, she returned the favor.

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"Dude, you know Robin," Beast Boy almost whined. "What if Star can't even get him to accept our apology?"

Cyborg opened his mouth to say something, but the doors to the main room opening cut him off.

"Lets just say that I've accepted her apology," Robin said. "It's your apology to both of us, for talking her into it, that I want to hear."

"Whoa!" Cyborg gasped seeing that they were holding hands. "You mean you're. . .?"

"Dude, we're so sorry," Beast Boy said, missing that fact. "Star, I know I broke your trust by convincing you to. . ." he went on, then trailed off as he finally noticed. "No way! Are you two. . .?"

Starfire giggled softly, then glanced over at Robin as he let go of her hand and slid his arm around her waist. "Yes, friends, we are now officially doing the going out."

"It's the one treat that came out of that trick," Robin said. "And there won't be any more such tricks, right?"

Beast Boy put his left hand over his heart, and held up his right. "I swear to you, that I won't play any more pranks that play at your emotions."

"That's good enough for me," Robin said. "Now if you'll excuse us, Starfire and I have a date at the coffee shop that we missed last night."

Robin ignored the shocked looks on his friend's faces as he and Starfire left the room and headed for the garage. Beast Boy's Halloween trick had shown him that in their line of work, taking for granted that Starfire or himself would be around tomorrow was not a good idea.

Not that he'd ever tell them that.


End file.
